The present disclosure relates to a thermal inspection system.
Gas turbine engines, such as those which power modern military and commercial aircraft, include a compressor section to pressurize a supply of air, a combustor section to burn a hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of the pressurized air, and a turbine section to extract energy from the resultant combustion gases and generate thrust.
Gas turbine engine hot section components such as blades, vanes, augmentor sections, exhaust ducts, combustor liners and nozzle section are subject to high thermal loads for prolonged time periods. Historically, such components have implemented various air-cooling arrangements with numerous cooling passages that permit the passage of cooling air sourced from the compressor or fan section.
A complex cooling passage geometry may include a diffuser section as well as a metering section to facilitate effective cooling efficiencies. Current processes to measure such passages, however, are relatively time consuming.